Weft-pile-cutting machine



April 30, 1929. A. ROGER WEFT PILE CUTTING MACHINE Filed oct. 18, 192,7

ISI

Patented Apr. 30, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. i

ARTHUR RUGEB, F LYMM, ENGLAND.

WEET-PILE-CU TTIN G MACHINE.

Application led October 18, 1927, Serial No. 227,015, and in Great Britain November 2, 1926.`

The invention relates to the cutting of weft pile i'abrics, and has for object the provision ot means of simple character in a machine for this purpose, said means consisting of drums or the like from the one to the other of which the cloth is Wound, in the one direction for cutting operations, and in the other direction for return ofthe cloth to the setting-in position of the cutting knit'e; in combination With a cloth-tension control device consisting of pulleys or Wheels connected to the drums, and in connection with each other by means ot a flexible member or rope of continnous form provided with a depending loop, said loop being,r Weighted, or supportingr what is known as a. jockey pulley of sullicient weight or weighted for the purpose intended.

In the example herein described, gear wheels are employed in the driving of the machine, but the jockey-pulley device is employed for controlling the tension of the cloth.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side sectional elevation of portions of a weft pile cutting machine provided in accordance with a forni of my said invention. F ig. 2 is a plan view of parts of Fig. 1, the cloth being removed, Well as the flexible connection shown in the last-named figure.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation ot a modified wheel for beingy connected by the flexible member named to another like wheel, and Fin'. 4 is merely to indicate the nat-ure of Fig. 3 when vieived from the front, said Fig. 4 being somewhat in diagram form only. Fi gs. 3 and 4 are on dilerent scales to the previous ligures.

Fig. shows, on a reduced scale, amodifi cation of application of the jockey-pulley device.

Fig". (i a sectional view, on a dilerent scale.V of :i portion ot' a drum about which the cloth is wound. with details relatingr to electrical disconnection, when required, or involved in such as stoppingr the machine.

A pair ot' drums are shown at c, revolubly inolmted in the machine, and from one to the other ot which drums the cloth is Wound. These drums are preferably light in character, consistingr of rims and Wire spokes, the latter after the manner of bicycle Wheels, but on a large scale.

The drums a arehere assumed to be driven from a main shaft b; through a known systeni o'l differential gearingr indicated within a casing c. The cross shafts of said gearing said drums is indicated at g, and the extreme ends of said cloth are assumed to be in connection with the respective drums. For ex` ample, an end-partei cloth may be Wrapped round a metal cross bar or slide to which bar, beyond the edges of said Wrapped cloth, are connected bands of metal or strongr substance, the latter attached to the periphery or parts ofthe drum involved.

External tension and drag rollers about which the cloth passes are indicated at i, la, by Way of example.

When the machine or cloth is in the position suitable for the setting-in of the cutting! knife indicated at 1 in Fig. 1, the knife end or guide point may be approximately below the position indicated by vertical arrow line in Fig. 1, although the setting-in position i need not be confined to such as referredto.

This setting-in Willt-ake place when the greater portion of the length of cloth has been returned to the rear drum, or the drum f on the right in said Fig. 1, and after the mot1on of the machine has been reversed for so returning the cloth, or a new race of weft pile is in position for being cut.

In connection with the drums a through the shutting carryingr the same. are Wheels m capable of turning with said chatting. These Wheels have connected to them and wound about them, a flexible connection continuous from one wheel to the other, said con nection being marked n. It is shown passing: over guide and supporting rollers 0 assumed to be revolubly mounted Von a xed shaft r situated at some convenient position above the machine. r

Said connection n is provided with a dependingr loop in which rests, in free man-` ner. a jockey-pulley s. This pulley is shown to be weighted at its axis.

In operation, when the setting-in position `of the knife is reached, the loop of n with the jockey-pullev may be at the lowest position, and when the machine is in motion, inthe forward direction, or the cloth is moving from right to left at the top side in Fig. 1, and the connection n Winds from the forewheel m on the left to the rear wheel on the llO right, the loop aforesaid and jockey-pulley gradually lift a distance, and then reverse movement, or gradually fall; the reversal taking place about the time When both drums have approximately equal amounts ot cloth wound thereon.

In operation, the diameter of cloth on a drum obviously varies, but variation in tension ot said cloth is controlled or prevented by the jockey device named.

It will be seenl that 4when the machine not running and the jockey pulley s is motion less, then the weight of said pulley is tending to turn the drums a in opposite directions or outwardly; but the cloth acting as a belt resists said movement, the normal tension oi said cloth for this purpose being determined by the weight oit said jockey pulley device.

It', however, at the time referred to the cloth is slack or tends to sag between the drums, the Weight ot the jockey pulley preponderates and said` pulley falls until the normal tension is restored. The action is here very similar to that ot' a chain weight in a well-known grandsl'ather clock, said Weight falling a little every time the escapement is released, but in this latter case the tall is uniform in extent, and in the case of the present invention the fall is dependent upon the condition of the cloth tension at the time.

In similar manner, if, at the time first-referred to, the tension et' the cloth exceeds the normal, due to its manufacture, for example, then said tension preponderates, and an opposite action occurs, or the jockey pulley is lifted until normality is restored. When the machine is running, and the cloth tension remains normal, the cords n merely wind on the one rim m and unwind from the other rim, as the case may be, but as the thickness of the wound cloth about the drums varies, and therefore the peripheral speeds of the rims 'nt also vary, it will be seen that at some part ot the motion the jockey pulley is rising during the winding and unwinding operations, and falling at another part of said mo tion. j

It, now, change of tension ol' the cloth occurs (say due to manufacture of the latter) the compensating etlect iirst-above described takes place, thus modifying or changing the direction ofi motion oit the jockey pulley until i normal tension is established.

For the solo purpose ot tension control reilerred to, brakes are not required to be used additionally on the machine, since the contrary tendency ot pull of the jockey pulley device upon the drums as compared with the forward, or may be backward, drive of said drums, provides the requisite resistance upon the cloth and drums referred to.

In some cases it may be more convenient'. to mount the jockey-pulley below the position of the machine, in Which case the connection n` may be arranged relatively to wheels fm, aitter the manner indicated in Fig. 5 suitable guide pulleys being included.

It will be seen that the jockey pulley s en sures a weighted-loop in the cord n, said weighted loop bringingl about the etl'ect described as regards tension at the cloth.

In order to modity the distance of iall or movement of the pulley s modifications et' wheels fm, may be adopted. ln Figs. 2:3 and -t for example a wheel in the form olf what is known as a tusse is shown, or one having helical grooves for the connection a, said grooves being' ot reducing diameters. There would be a Ytusce t'or each wheel, and at the setting-in position ot the kniite or machine the connection fn would be about the smaller part ot the tusee for the torward drum, and about the larger part olf the tusee :for the rear drum.

The means adopted for driving the machine forms no part ot the present invention, or the means adopted Ytor reversing the motion of said machine.

The direction of rotation o't the drums is determined by the direction oi rotation of main shalt b.

But in those cases where electrical means are employed such as for stopping the machine brought about by the breaking ot an electrical circuit, then the described method of making use o't' bars to which the cloth ends are attached or passed about the same, forms a convenient adjunct.

Thus in Fig. 6, the end portion ot the cloth Wound about the drum L or cloth carrier is assumed to be wrapped about a cross bar t the latter being attached to the drum by means of connectingr bands such as u of thin metal, said bands being situated beyond the side edges of the cloth g,

Under the conditions shown in Fig. 6 the bar t is pressed down by the cloth above the same Wound round the drum, and said bar holds down one end of a lever n pivoted at wV on drum (L. The other leg ot the lever fo is thus keptin electrical contact with a plate a also attached to a. e and a: are assumed to be in electrical circuit. with the system employed by means of leads l, and 2 respectively, which leads may pass down spokes o't the drum a to the hub thereof, and along the latter to wherever desired.

`When the cloth o unwinds sufliciently to move bar t away lrom lever o than spring connectingr 'v with the rim of drum a, operates to break the contact between e and fu as will be understood. An insulated stop is shown at 3 attached to the rim oi drum a aforesaid.

l. In a machine employed for cutting the pile of wett pile fabrics, a pair of revolubly mounted drums from the one to the other ot which said cloth is wound, in the one direction for pile cutting operations, and in the lil other direction for bringing the cloth to the position suitable for the setting-in of the cuttingr knife, rims connected to said drums in Connection With each other by means of e flexible member capable of being Wound about the same in opposite directions, a weighted depending loop in said connection, and operatingr through said connection rims and drums for maintaining the tension of smid cloth constant, substantially as herein set forth.

2. In n machine employed for cutting the pile of weft pile fabrics, a pair of revolubly mounted drums from the one to the other of which the cloth is wound, in the one direction for pile cutting operations, and in the other direction for bringing the cloth in position for the setting-in of the cutting knife, Wheels connected to said drums in connection with each other by means of a Hexible rope capable of being Wound about said Wheels in opposite directions, a depending loop in said connection, a" jockey pulley freely riding on said loop, and operating through said conneetion, wheels and drums for maintaining the cloth in constant tension, substantially as herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

ARTHUR ROGER. 

